The invention relates to an apparatus for the binding of a book block. Such an apparatus comprises a parallel-driven, synchronized lifting device for transferring a book block to a gripper that circulates above the lifting device on a traction mechanism. The book block is supplied to the lifting device while positioned flat and with its spine facing (pointing in a feeding direction to) a limit stop.
Müller Martini Marketing AG, Zofingen, Switzerland, markets a small-scale perfect binder under the trade name Amigo Digital. This perfect binder successively feeds book blocks to a limit stop of a lifting device. The lifting device is arranged at the end of a feeding segment. The book blocks can be pivoted along the limit stop to an upright position, allowing the individual book blocks to drop into the opened jaws of a gripper on a circulating conveyor. During this operation, the lifting device moves synchronously with the circulating gripper and the book block in the gripper passes through the processing stations of the binder.
The disadvantage of the above-described machine is that once the book blocks have been moved to the upright position, the position of the book blocks and in particular the position of the individual signatures cannot be controlled during the subsequent tilting and dropping of the book block into an opened gripper. This reduces the production quality and reliability.
One proposed solution is to feed the book blockers up an inclined plane to the gripper. However, this would require a longer feeding segment and several additional processing cycles.